Yesterday we had our first Mysterium Novum team meeting of 2016. Mysterium Novum is a project we've been working on since 2014. Our clarinetist, Isabel Kim, has been intrigued with synesthesia for quite some time and came up with this concept after discovering composer Alexander Scriabin’s unrealized piece Mysterium. It was to be an elaborate week-long synesthetic performance/experience combining music, dance, visual art, light projections, and scent. Using Scriabin’s project as a point of inspiration, we’ll be creating our own version of it, with music by composer Paul Haas, an installation by Anne Patterson, scent by Atelier de Geste, and interactive tech by Joel Mellin. And we’ll be performing, of course!

We started with our walk-through at White Box on the Lower East Side, where we asked a million questions about power sources, sound, chairs, and where the bathroom was because some of us needed to go. After getting a sense of the space we were all inspired and still had so many more ideas to explore, so Anne suggested we sit down and grab lunch. Isabel (an all-knowing maven of what’s cool) walked us over to Café Henrie. This place is “just fucking delightful and an Instagrammer’s paradise” according to Sugar. Well, she’s not wrong. We’d also like to add that the food was healthy and really delicious.

Mysterium Novum is one of the most challenging projects we’ve had to produce thus far. The biggest thing before this was Potential Energies, which presented its own set of challenges (primarily getting ten musicians and dancers in a room, and working in a long process with a large group of people). Funding is always a challenge, but with Mysterium Novum the major hurdle, to our surprise, was securing a presenter. It was surprising because we had funding secured, and a couple of them spoke to us over the course of several months, even talking possible dates, with the answer concluding in a “no.”

So in true NCP-style we’re making it happen ourselves. It’s going to take place in June so stay tuned for our announcement in the coming months. You might hear trumpets. Or hear trumpets and see blue at the same time! In the meantime, scroll for more photos and stay updated by signing up for our newsletter.